Car broke down? A CarFax app can help consumers find a mechanic

Consumers have a new tool to help find a mechanic when their cars need repairs. CarFax Inc. has released an app for iOS and Android smartphones that enables consumers to view their vehicle service records, check maintenance requirements, obtain repair cost estimates and find local auto service shops.

A motorist enters her vehicle identification or license plate numbers and letters into the app once she has registered an account with her e-mail address or Facebook log-in. The app then searches for service records from more than 25,000 automobile repair shops for their vehicles. The app also notifies consumers of any recalls.

“The next owner can see the name and contact information of shops that worked on the car before,” a CarFax spokesman says. New owners tend to bring cars back to where the vehicle was previously serviced and mechanics are familiar with the car, he says. Vehicle service records are supplied by repair shops that are part of CarFax’s network. The records provide the date, mileage and a description of the work, such as an oil change or brake work.

Multiple vehicles can be saved in the app. Consumers can add an image of their car or truck, edit the estimated mileage provided by CarFax and add service activity not reported to CarFax.

CarFax developed the app internally, taking about a year. CarFax would not say how much the app cost to create. CarFax also offers apps for its CarFax Reports, which shows consumers vehicle history reports, and CarFax for Dealers, a business-to-business version dealers can use when buying vehicles for resale.